Remote document retrieval and storage system

ABSTRACT

An electronically stored financial document is either maintained in a first storage system when a parameter associated with the document is greater than a pre-selected parameter or in a second storage system when the parameter associated with the document is less than or equal to the pre-selected parameter. A request for a stored financial document is received and the requested financial document parameter is compared to the pre-selected financial document parameter to determine if the electronically stored financial document&#39;s parameter is more than, less than, or equal to the pre-selected parameter. By using an interlinked interface, an electronic processor compares and electronically accesses one of the storage systems in response to the comparison of the pre-selected parameter to the electronically stored financial document&#39;s parameters. After accessing the appropriate storage system, the requested electronically stored financial document can be reproduced, and/or distributed.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/857,854 filed on Sep. 18, 2015, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/840,892 filed on Mar. 15, 2013, nowU.S. Pat. No. 9,141,612, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/272,936 filed on Oct. 13, 2011, now abandoned,which is continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/902,973filed on Oct. 12, 2010, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/489,087 filed on Jun. 22, 2009, now U.S.Pat. No. 7,836,067, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/202,790 filed on Aug. 12, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,552,118,which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/104,541filed on Mar. 22, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,963,866, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/548,490 filed onApr. 13, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,072, which in turn claimspriority to and all the advantages of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/129,021, which was filed on Apr. 13, 1999, allof which being incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD

The subject invention relates to a method for a financial institution toobtain electronically-stored financial documents from an off-sitestorage system remotely-located from an on-site storage system.

BACKGROUND

Methods for obtaining electronically-stored financial documents aregenerally known in the art. Financial institutions, such as banks andcredit unions, utilize such methods to rapidly and efficiently obtainfinancial documents for distribution to clients upon request. Suchfinancial documents include paid checks, account statements, and otherrelated documents. These financial documents are typically stored onmicrofiche, microfilm, digitally, or by some other electronic storagemeans. Further, these financial documents are typicallyelectronically-stored in an on-site storage system located at thefinancial institution or in an off-site storage system. Electronicstorage of these financial documents permits financial institutions toeliminate storage of paper or “hard” copies of these documents. Theelectronic storage of these documents also provides a means ofretrieving the information from the on-site and off-site storagesystems.

Once the document is stored, the client may request an image of aparticular stored document. Client requests are made to replace lost orstolen documents, for tax purposes, for proof of financial transactions,for legal disputes, and other similar matters. The client's request isinputted into a computer terminal at the financial institution. Morespecifically, conventional methods for obtaining anelectronically-stored financial document enable an employee of thefinancial institution, such as a bank teller, to input the request intoan interface incorporated into the computer terminal. The interface isinter-linked with the on-site storage system. Typically, all requestsfor a particular period are grouped together and subsequently downloadedfor retrieval of the requested image by the financial institution. Thefinancial institution retrieves the image, e.g. a photocopy of thecheck, and then distributes the photocopy to the client via facsimile,mail or hand delivery. The storing, downloading, and retrieving of thefinancial document, including the reproduction and the distribution ofthe document, are known in the industry as back office production. Backoffice production for financial institutions is particularly resourceintensive, time consuming, and expensive. Also, back office productionbecomes increasingly expensive if the client requests a particularly oldfinancial document because older financial documents frequently requiremore resources and time to locate and retrieve.

The majority of financial institutions electronically store financialdocuments only in an on-site storage system and not in an off-sitestorage system. Consequently, these financial institutions are unable tooutsource the responsibilities for the back office production to thirdparty entities to alleviate the expenses and resources associated withthe back office production. These financial institutions realize asignificant financial burden since the back office production isconcentrated strictly at the financial institution.

Other financial institutions do electronically store financial documentsin on-site and off-site storage systems. However, the methods utilizedby these financial institutions to access the financial documents storedin the off-site storage system are deficient in that the interfaceutilized in such methods is only inter-linked with the on-site storagesystem. That is, there is no interface independently inter-linked withthe off-site storage system. As a result, the financial documents storedin the off-site storage system can not be efficiently accessed. Thesefinancial institutions are still responsible for retrieving therequested financial documents through their back office production andtheir expenses remain high. One such method of retrieving documents fromon-site and off-sited storage systems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,784,610 to Copeland, III et al.

Due to the inefficiencies identified in the conventional methods used byfinancial institutions to obtain financial documents, it is desirable toimplement a method for a financial institution to obtainelectronically-stored financial documents from both on-site and off-sitestorage systems that reduces, if not eliminates, the back officeproduction of the financial institution by providing a direct interfaceinter-linked with the off-site storage system. With such an interface,the responsibility for retrieving financial documents from the off-sitestorage can be outsourced to third party entities while still providingthe financial institution with efficient access to any financialdocuments electronically-stored in the off-site storage system.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, there is provided a system for selectivelystoring and retrieving electronic images of a plurality of financialdocuments, each electronic image being associated with a documentparameter that includes a numerical sequence that is representative of arecord date of the corresponding financial document. The systemcomprises a first storage system including a first fixed medium, thefirst storage system being associated with a first entity and configuredto: store at least some of the electronic images for the plurality offinancial documents wherein the document parameter for each of the atleast some of the electronic images that are configured to be stored inthe first storage system are greater than a predetermined parameter,wherein the predetermined parameter is a date or time period; a secondstorage system including a second fixed medium, wherein the secondstorage system is located remotely from the first storage system, thesecond storage system being associated with a second entity andconfigured to: store at least some of the electronic images for theplurality of financial documents wherein the document parameter for eachof the at least some of the electronic images configured to be stored inthe second storage system are less than or equal to the predeterminedparameter; an electronic processor which has electronic access to thefirst and second storage systems and is also interlinked to the firststorage system and the second storage system, wherein the electronicprocessor is interlinked to the first storage system and the secondstorage system through an interlinked interface, wherein the electronicprocessor is configured to: receive a request for one of the storedelectronic images of the plurality of financial documents; compare thenumerical sequence of the document parameter associated with therequested stored electronic image to the predetermined parameter;automatically access the first storage system when the numericalsequence of the document parameter associated with the requested storedelectronic image is greater than the predetermined parameter;automatically access the second storage system when the numericalsequence of the document parameter associated with the requested storedelectronic image is less than or equal to the predetermined parameter;and automatically retrieve the requested stored electronic image fromthe first storage system or the second storage system once the firststorage system or the second storage system has been accessed.

According to another embodiment, there is provided a method of accessingan electronically-stored financial document from one of a first storagesystem associated with a first entity and a second storage systemassociated with a second entity, wherein the second storage system islocated remotely from the first storage system, wherein the first andsecond storage systems each include a plurality of financial documentsstored therein and wherein each of the financial documents has anelectronic image and is associated with at least one specific documentparameter, wherein the first storage system is associated with a primaryinterface and the second storage system is associated with a secondaryinterface. The method comprises the steps of: electronically storing aplurality of images of the financial documents in a first fixed mediumat the first storage system when the specific document parameter of thefinancial document is greater than a predetermined parameter, whereinthe predetermined parameter is a numerical record date or time period;electronically storing a plurality of images of the financial documentsin a second fixed medium at the second storage system when the specificdocument parameter of the financial document is less than or equal tothe predetermined parameter; utilizing at least one electronic processorthat has access to the first and second storage systems by interlinkingthe primary interface of the first storage system with the secondaryinterface of the second storage system; receiving a request for an imageof one of the stored financial documents at the electronic processor;comparing the specific document parameter of the requested financialdocument to the predetermined parameter to determine whether thespecific document parameter is greater than, less than, or equal to thepredetermined parameter after the request has been received, wherein thespecific document parameter of the financial document is a particularnumerical sequence associated with the specific document parameter, andwherein the particular numerical sequence of the financial documentincludes a record date of the financial document; automaticallyaccessing the first storage system when the specific document parameteris greater than the predetermined parameter and automatically accessingthe second storage system when the specific document parameter is lessthan or equal to the predetermined parameter; and automaticallyretrieving the image of the requested financial document from theaccessed storage system as defined by the received request.

A method for a financial institution to obtain electronically-storedfinancial documents having a specific document parameter is disclosed.The specific document parameter is typically a particular numericalsequence, such as a record date of the financial document. The method ofthe subject invention enables the financial institution to obtain thefinancial documents from a first or an off-site storage system. Thefirst or off-site storage system is different from a second or anon-site storage system and is preferably remotely-located from thesecond or on-site storage system. In one embodiment, the financialdocuments of the financial institution are maintained in the first oroff-site storage system when the specific document parameter of thefinancial document is greater than a predetermined parameter. Thefinancial documents that are less than or equal to the predeterminedparameter are maintained in the second or on-site storage system. Inanother embodiment, the specific document parameter of the financialdocument that is less than or equal to the predetermined parameter ismaintained in the first or off-site storage system and the financialdocument that is greater than the predetermined parameter is maintainedin the second or on-site storage system.

When the financial institution receives a request for a financialdocument, the financial institution compares the specific documentparameter of the requested financial document to the predeterminedparameter to determine if the specific document parameter is greaterthan less than, or equal to the predetermined parameter. A computerterminal located at the financial institution is connected to both theoff-site and on-site storage systems through a processing unit. Theprocessing unit is utilized to, at least partially, automatically accessone of the storage systems in response to the comparison of the specificdocument parameter to the predetermined parameter. For instance, if itis determined that the specific document parameter is less than or equalto the predetermined document parameter, then the processing unitaccesses the second or on-site storage system. On the other hand, if itis determined that the specific document parameter of the financialdocument is greater than the predetermined parameter, then theprocessing unit accesses the first or off-site storage system. As statedbelow, the computer terminal may be used to feed a request into theprocessing unit.

After the requested financial document is accessed, the requesteddocument is then retrieved in order to reproduce the financial document,and distribute the financial document to an end user of the financialinstitution.

The subject invention therefore provides a method that enables financialinstitutions to obtain electronically-stored financial documents fromon-site and off-site storage systems. As such the financial institutioncan selectively store financial documents in either an on-site storagesystem or the off-site storage system, and the responsibility for thefinancial documents in the on-site or off-site storage systems can beoutsourced to a third party entity. Further, the documents can be storedin different fixed mediums, such as microfiche, microfilm, digitally,electronically, etc., and can be stored in different geographicallocations. Therefore, the back office production of the financialinstitution associated with the retrieval and distribution of financialdocuments stored in the on-site or off-site storage systems isstrategically reduced or even completely eliminated.

DRAWINGS

Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention will hereinafter bedescribed in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein likedesignations denote like elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram schematically detailing an on-site storagesystem, and an off-site storage system in accordance with oneembodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram generally representing a method for afinancial institution to obtain electronically-stored financialdocuments from the on-site and off-site storage systems;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram completing the method of obtainingelectronically-stored financial documents from the on-site storagesystem; and

FIG. 4 is a block diagram completing the method of obtainingelectronically-stored financial documents from the off-site storagesystem.

DESCRIPTION

Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, a method for afinancial institution to obtain an electronically-stored financialdocument is schematically shown at 10 in FIG. 1. The methods introducedherein enable the financial institution to obtain the financial documentfrom one of a first or an off-site storage system and a second or anon-site storage system with the storage systems being different fromeach other. Preferably, the on-site storage system is located at thefinancial institution and the off-site storage system is located at aremote location distant from the financial institution. This allows thefinancial institution to ‘outsource’ the responsibilities associatedwith obtaining the financial document.

Methods for financial institutions to obtain electronically-storeddocuments are frequently used by such entities as banks, credit unions,and other financially-oriented institutions. For illustrative purposesonly, the description of the subject invention is discussed withreference to banks. However, as appreciated by those skilled in the art,other businesses, such as insurance companies, may also utilize similarmethods and corporate the aspects of the subject invention.

Methods for banks to obtain electronically-stored financial documentsare generally used by banks to rapidly and efficiently obtain financialdocuments for distribution to clients upon request. As described above,the financial documents for banks are usually paid checks, checkingstatements, and other related financial documents, and these documentsinclude at least one specific document parameter. As appreciated bythose skilled in the art, it is not the financial document (e.g. thepaid check) itself that is electronically-stored. Rather, it is dataincluded on the document such as a sequence number that iselectronically stored to look up, designate, or indicate the financialdocument. The specific document parameter is preferably a particularnumerical sequence. As appreciated, the specific document parameter ofthe financial document can include, but is not limited to, a record dateor age of the document, a series number, or some other documentidentifying number of the financial document. More specifically, in thepreferred embodiment of the subject invention, the particular numericalsequence of the financial document is the record date of the financialdocument. That is, the date that the particular financial document wascreated or posted.

The financial documents are typically stored on microfiche, microfilm,digitally, or by some other electronic storage means. As appreciated,the electronic storage of the financial documents is frequently createdby taking an electronic photo image of the document and storing thephoto image in a computer system. One such digital electronic storagedevice is sold by Kodak under the name of IMAGELINK™ Digital Workstation(IDW). Electronic storage of these financial documents permits banks toeliminate storage of paper or “hard” copies of these documents. Theelectronic storage of these documents also provides an efficient meansof retrieving the information from the on-site and off-site storagesystems. This will be discussed further herein below.

As described above, the financial documents are electronically-stored ineither the on-site storage system located at the bank or in the off-sitestorage system remotely located from the on-site storage system. Morespecifically, the subject invention includes the step of maintaining thefinancial documents in the off-site storage system when the specificdocument parameter of the financial document is greater than apredetermined parameter. Financial documents are maintained in theon-site storage system when the specific document parameter of thefinancial document is less than or equal to the predetermined parameter.As appreciated, the document parameter of the financial documents storedin the off-site storage system may be greater than or equal to thepredetermined parameter with the on-site storage system having documentsonly less than the predetermined parameter.

Similar to the specific document parameter of the financial document,the predetermined parameter is also a numerical value. The predeterminedparameter is specifically a numerical value predetermined by the bank.For instance, if the specific document parameter is a series number of apaid check and the series number is greater than the predeterminedparameter which, in this case, would be an arbitrarily selected baseseries number, then the paid check would be stored in the off-sitestorage system.

In the preferred embodiment, the predetermined numerical value is a datepre-selected by the bank. For instance, the bank may pre-select a datethat is one year before a current date—the current date being the actualdate that the client requests the financial document. Of course, thebank may pre-select a date that is some other time period before acurrent date (e.g. two or three years) without varying from the scope ofthe present disclosure. As such, if the record date of the particularfinancial document is older than one year, then the particular financialdocument is maintained in the off-site storage system. If the recorddate of the particular financial document is earlier than or equal toone year, then the particular financial document is maintained in theon-site storage system. As discussed above, the document having recorddates equal to the one year may be stored in the off-site or on-sitestorage systems.

Once the financial document is maintained in the appropriate storagesystem, the bank is capable of receiving a request for the financialdocument from the client. In reality, the client is requesting an imageof the stored financial document. As appreciated, clients request theimage for various reasons. As discussed above, requests are typicallymade for replacing lost or stolen financial documents, for tax purposes,for proof of financial transactions, for legal disputes, and othersimilar matters. Ultimately, the bank retrieves the image, reproducesthe image, and distributes the reproduced image to the requesting clientof the bank.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the method for banks to obtainelectronically-stored financial documents is discussed in detail inaccordance with a general scope of the subject invention. Initially therequesting client requests a particular financial document, such as apaid check. The client is typically a customer of the bank or otherfinancial institution. The client's request is inputted into a computerterminal 11 at the financial institution. The computer terminal 11 willbe discussed in more detail hereinbelow.

From the computer terminal 11, the request is fed into a processing unit12, which is illustrated as a mainframe computer 12 at the bank. In thepreferred embodiment, if the client requests a financial document havinga record date earlier than or equal to one year before the current date,then the request, and other requests like it, are processed at the bankin the on-site storage system. That is, the requests are groupedtogether and downloaded to a downloading terminal 14 at the bank. Thedownloading may occur at particular intervals such as at the end of eachday, every three hours, etc. The sequence number of each check requestedis then determined. A document terminal 16 subsequently creates orreproduces the document, i.e., a photocopy of the check. The photocopyis then distributed to the client via facsimile, mail, or hand delivery.

It is known in the art that the majority of requests for financialdocuments are requests for documents which were created in the mostrecent year. That is, if the pre-selected date is one year before thecurrent date, as in the preferred embodiment, then the majority ofrequests are seeking financial documents having a record date earlierthan or equal to the pre-selected date. The remaining document requestsrelate to financial documents that are older than one year. Since, asdescribed in the Background, retrieval of financial documents that areolder than one year is particularly expensive, the preferred embodimentof the subject invention outsources all of the document requests whichrelate to documents having a record date later than one year before thecurrent date. As appreciated, the particular time frame which isoutsourced is not a critical feature of the subject invention and may beadjusted to meet the needs of any particular financial institution. Infact, all of the document requests, including the most recent, may beoutsourced using an outsourcing procedure.

In the preferred embodiment, if the client requests a financial documenthaving a record date later than one year before the current date, thenthe request, and others like it, are grouped together and downloadedfrom the mainframe computer 12 to an outsourced downloading terminal 18.As above, the downloading may be at particular intervals as needed. Thesequence number is determined by a sequencing terminal 20. The sequencenumber is then sent back to the outsourced downloading terminal 18. Anoutsourced document terminal 22 then creates or reproduces the desireddocument which is then distributed to either the client or the bank. Asappreciated, two document retrieval operations, one for the bank toretrieve financial documents having record dates earlier than or equalto one year before the current date, and another to retrieve outsourcedfinancial documents having record dates later than one year before thecurrent date, preferably operate simultaneously. It is to be understoodthat the computer terminals and the accompanying PC bases areillustrated highly schematically in FIG. 1 and are not intended to belimiting in any manner. For instance, the schematic illustration of theoutsourced document terminal 22 need not include a computer terminal andan accompanying PC base. Instead, the outsourced document terminal 22 ispreferably some sort of printing device.

Referring to FIGS. 2 through 4, the method for banks to obtainelectronically-stored financial documents is described in even greaterdetail. The request is first generated by the client. The request isthen processed by the bank. The processing, retrieval and reproductionof the requested financial document is typically controlled by oneinterlinked computer software program. One such computer softwareprogram is a software program called Antinori Software Incorporated orASI which is sold under the name of INNOVASION™ by Carreker-Antinori ofDallas, Tex. However, other frequently used software programs includePEGA™ and Sterling™. Any of these computer software systems can providethe necessary means for implementing the discussed procedures.

The processing of the request is completed by a customer servicetracking system and the computer terminal 11. The customer servicetracking system assists the financial institution in receiving therequest. More specifically, the customer service tracking system givesbranches, customer service, and other bank departments the capability toenter, log, track, route and monitor the status of all requests forfinancial documents. The customer service tracking system also providesthe capability to enter, log, track, route and monitor the status ofcustomer complaints and other customer service related items.

In accordance with one contemplated embodiment, a bank employee, such asa bank teller first determines a status of the requested document. Morespecifically, the employee compares the specific document parameter ofthe requested financial document to the predetermined parameter todetermine if the specific document parameter is greater than, less than,or equal to the predetermined parameter. If the specific documentparameter is a particular numerical sequence and the predeterminedparameter is a predetermined numerical value, then the employee comparesthe particular numerical sequence of the financial document to thepredetermined numerical value to determine if the particular numericalsequence is greater than, less than, or equal to the predeterminednumerical value. Further, if as in the preferred embodiment, theparticular numerical sequence is a record date of the financialdocument, and the predetermined numerical value is a pre-selected date,then the employee compares the record date of the financial document tothe pre-selected date to determine if the record date is later than,earlier than, or equal to the pre-selected date.

The customer service tracking system enables a bank employee, such as abank teller, to submit the request. More specifically, the employeeutilizes the computer terminal 11 located at the bank and connected toboth the off-site and on-site storage systems to access one of thestorage systems in response to the comparison of the specific documentparameter of the requested financial document to the predeterminedparameter. For instance, when the particular numerical sequence of thefinancial document is greater than the predetermined numerical value,the employee preferably utilizes the computer terminal 11 to access theoff-site storage system, and when the particular numerical sequence ofthe financial document is less than or equal to the predeterminednumerical value, the employee preferably utilizes the computer terminal11 to access the on-site storage system. As discussed above, thedocuments have a numerical sequence equal to the predetermined numericalvalue may be stored in either the off-site or on-site storage systems.

After the computer terminal 11 is utilized to access the desired storagesystem, the employee manually inputs identification data of therequested financial document into the computer terminal 11. Morespecifically, when the particular numerical sequence of the financialdocument is less than or equal to the predetermined numerical value, theemployee inputs identification data into a primary interface and selectsthe requested document. Also, the primary interface preferably providesan option for the employee to select among several different outputformats. The primary interface is inter-linked with the on-site storagesystem. In the preferred embodiment of the subject invention, theprimary interface appears as follows and includes the identificationdata detailed below:

Account Number: Prod Type: Account Name: Customer Code:   Address:  City: State: Zip Code: Home Phone: ( ) Work Phone: ( ) Fax: ( )Service Code: For Items Posted Within A Year  Copy of Statement OnlySavings Items  Copy of Check/Deposit Ticket Misc (G/L, Loans, Teller,Etc)  Check(s)/Deposit(s)<30 Items Cash Letter Reconstruction Statements and<30 Items Lockbox  Statements and>30 Items LegalStatement Only  Deposit Reconstruction Legal Statement and ItemsRegardless of Posting Date  Missing Transactions    Returned Items Online (Backdated/Unposted)Encoding Error/Wrong Account EXIT FUNCTION

Alternatively, when the particular numerical sequence of the financialdocument is greater than the predetermined numerical value, the employeeselects an exit function at the primary interface. The exit functiondistinguishes that the request is to be sent to an outsourcing thirdparty entity. Upon selection of the exit function at the primaryinterface, a secondary interface, inter-linked with the exit function,is initiated. The secondary interface is inter-linked with the off-sitestorage system. The employee inputs identification data into thesecondary interface and selects the requested document. Also, thesecondary interface preferably provides an option for the employee toselect among several different output formats. Preferably, routing, orservice codes will be generated automatically upon the initiation of thesecondary interface and the inputting of the identification data intothe secondary interface. The routing codes enable the bank to recognizethat the request is being sent to the outsourced third party entity.Furthermore, the routing codes are configured to automatically forwardthe inputted identification data to the off-site storage system. Theinputted identification data and the routing codes are forwarded intothe mainframe computer 12 introduced above for temporary storage beforetransfer to the off-site storage system. This temporary storage alsoserves to defend against unexpected power outages, computermalfunctions, and the like. In the preferred embodiment of the subjectinvention, the secondary interface appears as follows and includes theidentification data detailed below:

Account Number: Prod Type: Account Name: Customer Code:   Address:  City: State: Zip Code: Home Phone: ( ) Work Phone: ( ) Fax: ( )Service Code: For Items Posted Prior to a Year  Copy of Statement OnlySavings Items  Copy of Check/Deposit Ticket Misc (G/L, Loans, Teller,Etc)  Check(s)/Deposit(s)<30 Items Cash Letter Reconstruction Statements and<30 Items Lockbox  Statements and>30 Items LegalStatement Only  Deposit Reconstruction Legal Statement and Items

Once the bank employee has inputted the necessary identification datainto either the Primary or secondary interface, then retrieval of thefinancial document can continue. Specifically, the requested financialdocument is retrieved as defined by the inputted identification data.Two separate document retrieval procedures are discussed hereinbelow.One document retrieval procedure is for the financial documents having arecord date earlier than or equal to the pre-selected date-one yearbefore the current date in this example. The other document retrievalprocedure is for the financial documents having a record date later thanthe pre-selected date. As discussed above, the one year timing selectedfor the pre-selected date is simply shown as an example and any suitabletime frame may be utilized. In fact, even all financial documentretrievals may be outsourced to the third party entity. As alsodiscussed above, the two separate document retrieval procedures willtypically operate simultaneously.

With reference to the subject example, if the record date of thefinancial document is earlier than or equal to one year before thecurrent date, the remaining steps occur at the bank. As discussed above,these steps are known as the back office production of the bank. Therequest is first categorized by a research automation system. Theresearch automation system automates the entire workflow of a bank'sresearch and photocopy departments by sending requests to theappropriate sequence for processing. The downloading terminal 14 servesto perform the research automation system's tasks.

Photocopy requests are routed to an image control system, statementrequests are sent to a document retrieval system, and requests forfinancial adjustments are routed to an adjustment system. The documentterminal 16 serves to perform these tasks. In the illustrated embodimentof the subject invention, the sample document request is for a paidcheck. Hence, the categorized sequence will be the image control systemwhich handles photocopy requests.

Referring now to FIG. 3, after the request is categorized, the requestis verified for completeness and accuracy. If the request is notcomplete then additional data is retrieved. The additional data isretrieved by using a sequence number retrieval system and/or an allitems research system. Once the request is complete and accurate, thenthe image reference number can be determined. That is, once the requestis complete and accurate, then the requested financial document can beelectronically located in the on-site storage system. The referencenumber may be a routing, sequence, or any other type of indicator. Thereference number is determined by the image control system. The imagecontrol system is an image retrieval and routing management system whichworks in conjunction with Kodak's IMAGELINK™ Digital Workstations (IDW).Specifically, the image control system first connects to a network node.The network node is any type of storage device as is known in the art.Preferably a Kodak network node is used. The network node drives the IDWto find the location of the image by using the reference number.Specifically, the employee is prompted to verify that the correct mediais loaded in the IDW such that the IDW can locate the image. Thereference number for the document is known and the document image is nowverified and located.

The requested image can now be retrieved and reproduced. In other words,a copy of the digitized document (the check) is created. The copy may becreated by manually pulling the microfilm, microfiche, or the like andphotocopying the document. The copy may also be made by printing thedocument from a digitized record. The photocopy of the check is thendistributed to the requesting client or other end user of the financialinstitution. Other end users of the financial institution include, butare not limited to, other financial institutions and federal and stategovernments. Additional information such as a photocopy report, astatement of charges, a research report and/or a daily status report mayalso be produced for the requesting client, the other end user, and/orthe financial institution. The document retrieval system incorporated atthe bank and the method for obtaining electronically-stored financialdocuments from the on-site storage system is now completed.

Continuing with the subject example, if the record date of the financialdocument is later than one year before the current date, the automatedretrieval of the financial document is outsourced to the third partyentity. To begin, a separate file is automatically generated at the bankby the input of the identification data into the secondary interface.Referring specifically to FIG. 4, the routing codes direct the requestcreated on the separate file to be routed separately to the outsourcedthird party entity. In the preferred embodiment of the subjectinvention, additional user ID's are created to allow only selected usersinto the secondary interface. The identification data stored in theseparate file and the routing codes are downloaded to the off-sitestorage system for retrieval of the requested financial documents by theoutsourced downloading terminal 18. Preferably, the identification dataand routing codes are grouped into batches of common requests foroptimum retrieval of the requested financial document by the outsourcedthird party entity at the off-site storage system. The downloading stepmay occur at any suitable predetermined interval. Preferably, thedownloading will occur three times a day. The downloaded documents areknown in the industry as a basket of requests.

The subject method further includes the step of creating a back-up fileof the downloaded identification data and routing codes in the off-sitestorage system. The back-up file acts as an emergency information sourcein case the mainframe computer 12 at the financial institution has acatastrophic failure. In addition, the outsourced third party entity isin direct connection with the mainframe computer 12 of the bank whereinthe outsourced third party entity may produce a backup directory of eachdatabase file. This database backup is an additional safe guard for thefinancial institution.

The downloaded identification data and routing codes are thencategorized for processing in the off-site storage system. The researchautomation system categorizes this information in a like fashion asdiscussed above. In fact, the outsourced third party entity uses thesame computer software package as the financial institution such thatthe flow of information is optimum and not interrupted. As discussedabove, the subject example request is for a paid check. Hence, therequest will be categorized into the image control system and a sequencenumber will be determined by the sequencing terminal 20. Also, a statusto update the progress of the requested financial document is providedto the financial institution.

After the request is categorized, the request, specifically the inputtedidentification data, is verified for completeness and accuracy. If therequest is not complete or accurate, then additional data is retrieved.In a similar fashion as above, the additional data is retrieved by usingthe sequence number retrieval system and/or the all items researchsystem. As appreciated, the outsourced third party entity may retrievethis information from the mainframe computer 12, via its direct line, orfrom its own backup database files. Once the request is complete andaccurate, the image reference number can be determined. Again, as above,the reference number is determined by the image control system.

The requested image is then retrieved. More specifically, the requestedfinancial document is electronically located in the off-site storagesystem. Additionally, the requested financial document is alsoreproduced after the document is electronically located in the off-sitestorage system by the outsourced document terminal 22. In other words, acopy of the digitized document (the cheek) is created. A status file isthen created for the completed transaction. Also, a status of therequest is sent to the financial institution wherein the institution mayupdate their records. The status updates, as well as the informationconnections, create a two way information exchange between theoutsourced third party entity and the bank.

The photocopy of the check is then distributed or digitally transferredto the requesting client, the financial institution, or other end usersof the financial institution. In the preferred embodiment of the subjectinvention, the photocopy of the request is distributed to the requestingclient, etc. based on the routing codes. That is, in addition todirecting the request to be separately routed to the outsourced thirdparty entity, the routing codes also indicate an appropriatedistribution for the request client or other end user. The request isnow completed.

A special circumstance occurs when the record date of one portion of theclient's request is earlier than or equal to one year before the currentdate, and when the record date of another portion of the client'srequest is later than one year before the current date. These types ofrequests are known in the industry as spanned requests. One solution isto incorporate an additional interface utilized when the employee of thebank is utilizing the computer terminal 11 and comparing the specificdocument parameter of the requested financial document to thepredetermined parameter to determine if the specific document parameteris greater than, less than, or equal to the predetermined parameter. Ifthe request is a spanned request, then the request will be split intotwo separate requests which can be handled simultaneously. A specialnotation would be put onto the requests such that they may be put backtogether before distributing the documents to the client or other enduser. Another solution simply notifies the inputting employee that tworequests should be entered separately. A third solution sends therequest to the back office production at the bank wherein the backoffice employees notify the outsourced third party entity by a separaterequest to retrieve the requested financial documents.

One or more embodiments of the invention have been described in anillustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminologywhich has been used is intended to be in the nature of words ofdescription rather than of limitation. Obviously, many modifications andvariations of the present invention are possible in light of the aboveteachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope ofthe appended claims, wherein reference numerals are merely forconvenience and are not to be in any way limiting, the invention may bepracticed otherwise than as specifically described.

Further, it is to be understood that the foregoing is a description ofone or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. Theinvention is not limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosedherein, but rather is defined solely by the claims below. Moreover, thestatements contained in the foregoing description relate to particularembodiments and are not to be construed as limitations on the scope ofthe invention or on the definition of terms used in the claims, exceptwhere a term or phrase is expressly defined above. Various otherembodiments and various changes and modifications to the disclosedembodiment(s) will become apparent to those skilled in the art. All suchother embodiments, changes, and modifications are intended to comewithin the scope of the appended claims.

As used in this specification and claims, the terms “for example,”“e.g.,” “for instance,” “such as,” and “like,” and the verbs“comprising,” “having,” “including,” and their other verb forms, whenused in conjunction with a listing of one or more components or otheritems, are each to be construed as open-ended, meaning that the listingis not to be considered as excluding other, additional components oritems. Other terms are to be construed using their broadest reasonablemeaning unless they are used in a context that requires a differentinterpretation.

1. A system for selectively storing and retrieving electronic images of a plurality of financial documents, each electronic image being associated with a document parameter that includes a numerical sequence that is representative of a record date of the corresponding financial document, the system comprising: a first storage system including a first fixed medium, the first storage system being associated with a first entity and configured to: store at least some of the electronic images for the plurality of financial documents, wherein the document parameter for each of the electronic images that are configured to be stored in the first storage system is greater than a predetermined parameter, wherein the predetermined parameter is a date or time period; a second storage system including a second fixed medium, wherein the second storage system is located remotely from the first storage system, the second storage system being associated with a second entity and configured to: store at least some of the electronic images for the plurality of financial documents, wherein the document parameter for each of the electronic images configured to be stored in the second storage system is less than or equal to the predetermined parameter; an electronic processor which has electronic access to the first and second storage systems and is also interlinked to the first storage system and the second storage system, wherein the electronic processor is interlinked to the first storage system and the second storage system through an interlinked interface, wherein the electronic processor is configured to: receive a request for at least one of the stored electronic images of the plurality of financial documents; automatically compare the numerical sequence of the document parameter associated with the requested stored electronic image to the predetermined parameter after the request is received; automatically access the first storage system when the numerical sequence of the document parameter associated with the requested stored electronic image is greater than the predetermined parameter; automatically access the second storage system when the numerical sequence of the document parameter associated with the requested stored electronic image is less than or equal to the predetermined parameter; and automatically retrieve the requested stored electronic image from the first storage system or the second storage system once the first storage system or the second storage system has been accessed.
 2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first fixed medium and the second fixed medium are different from each other.
 3. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first fixed medium or the second fixed medium is a physical media.
 4. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first fixed medium or the second fixed medium is a fixed electronic medium.
 5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first fixed medium and the second fixed medium are the same.
 6. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to automatically reproduce the requested stored electronic image after the stored electronic image has been retrieved from the accessed storage system.
 7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein accessing the first storage system or the second storage system is further defined as accessing only one of the first storage system or the second storage system at any one time to locate the requested stored electronic image.
 8. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electronic processor which has electronic access to the first storage system and the second storage system is also interlinked to the first fixed medium and the second fixed medium.
 9. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first entity and the second entity are associated with each other.
 10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second storage system is also associated with the first entity.
 11. A system for selectively storing and retrieving electronic images of a plurality of financial documents, each electronic image being associated with a document parameter that includes a numerical sequence that is representative of a record date of the corresponding financial document, the system comprising: a first electronic storage means configured to: store at least some of the electronic images for the plurality of financial documents, wherein the document parameter for each of the electronic images that are configured to be stored in the first storage system is greater than a predetermined parameter, wherein the predetermined parameter is a date or time period; a second electronic storage means, wherein the first electronic storage means and the second electronic storage means are associated with a first entity and a second entity, respectively, wherein the first entity and the second entity are distinct or related, and wherein the second electronic storage means is configured to: store at least some of the electronic images for the plurality of financial documents, wherein the document parameter for each of the electronic images configured to be stored in the second storage system is less than or equal to the predetermined parameter; a retrieving means which has access to the first and second electronic storage means and is also interlinked to the first electronic storage means and the second electronic storage means, wherein the retrieving means is configured to: receive a request for at least one of the stored electronic images of the plurality of financial documents; automatically compare the numerical sequence of the document parameter associated with the requested stored electronic image to the predetermined parameter after the request is received; automatically access the first electronic storage means when the numerical sequence of the document parameter associated with the requested stored electronic image is greater than the predetermined parameter; automatically access the second storage system when the numerical sequence of the document parameter associated with the requested stored electronic image is less than or equal to the predetermined parameter; and automatically retrieve the requested stored electronic image from the first electronic storage means or the second electronic storage means depending on the document parameter associated with the requested stored electronic image.
 12. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the retrieving means is an electronic processor.
 13. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the first electronic storage means or the second electronic storage means is configured to digitally store the electronic images.
 14. A method of accessing an electronically-stored financial document from one of a first storage system associated with a first entity or a second storage system associated with a second entity, wherein the second storage system is located remotely from the first storage system, wherein the first and second storage systems each include a plurality of electronic images stored therein, each of the plurality of electronic images corresponding to a plurality of financial documents, and wherein each electronic image is associated with at least one specific document parameter, wherein the first storage system is associated with a primary interface and the second storage system is associated with a secondary interface, said method comprising the steps of: electronically storing at least some of the plurality of electronic images of the financial documents in a first fixed medium at the first storage system when the specific document parameter is greater than a predetermined parameter, wherein the predetermined parameter is a numerical record date or time period; electronically storing at least some of the plurality of electronic images of the financial documents in a second fixed medium at the second storage system when the specific document parameter is less than or equal to the predetermined parameter; utilizing at least one electronic processor that has access to the first and second storage systems by electronically interlinking the primary interface of the first storage system with the secondary interface of the second storage system; receiving a request relating to one of the financial documents at the electronic processor; automatically comparing the specific document parameter relating to the request to the predetermined parameter to determine whether the specific document parameter is greater than, less than, or equal to the predetermined parameter after the request has been received; automatically accessing the first storage system when the specific document parameter relating to the request is greater than the predetermined parameter and automatically accessing the second storage system when the specific document parameter relating to the request is less than or equal to the predetermined parameter; and automatically retrieving the image of the requested financial document from the accessed storage system as defined by the received request.
 15. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the first and second fixed mediums are different from each other.
 16. The method as set forth in claim 14, further including the step of automatically reproducing the requested financial document after the requested financial document has been retrieved from the accessed storage system.
 17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the step of automatically reproducing the requested financial document after the requested financial document has been retrieved from the accessed storage system includes automatically reproducing the requested financial document onto paper.
 18. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the step of automatically reproducing the requested financial document after the requested financial document has been retrieved from the accessed storage system includes electronically reproducing the requested financial document automatically.
 19. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the first and second storage systems are associated with the same entity.
 20. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the first and second fixed mediums are the same.
 21. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the step of automatically accessing the first storage system when the specific document parameter is greater than the predetermined parameter and automatically accessing the second storage system when the specific document parameter is less than or equal to the predetermined parameter utilizes an electronic processor inter-linked to the first storage system and the second storage system.
 22. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the second storage system is also associated with the first entity. 